Trolley-retriever.



P. THIBODEAU.

TROLLEY RETRIEVER. APPLICATION men SEPT. 25, 1915.

1,1 97,970. I PatentedSept. 12,1916.

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P. THIBODEAU.

TROLLEY RETRIEVER.

7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 25. I915.

Patented Sept. '12, 1916.

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WITNESS PETER THIIBODEAU, 0F WTLLIMANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID H. YOUNG, OF WILLIMANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

TBOLLEY-RETRIEVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed September 25, 1915. Serial No. 52,613.

useful Improvements in Trolley-Retrievers,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n trolley retrievers.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that will automatically move the trolley pole downward below the trolley wire should the engaging wheel, carried on the end of the pole, for any reason leave the wire. Such accidents, as well known, result oftentimes in breaking the guy or supporting wires by the trolley pole unless some means is provided to prevent the pole coming into contact with the cross-wires. Heretofore, such retriever devices have been, in the main, operated by springs.

My present invention is designed to eliminate the spring and employ compressed air for moving the pole downward toward the car should the pole suddenly leave the wire. Broadly, the invention comprises a rotatable table which carries a controlling valve, with suitable mechanism between the valve and the trolley pole for operating the valve when the pole leaves the wire and permitting compressed air to flow from a suitable tank to an inclosing cylinder in which is contained a piston, this piston being in turn connected back of the pole, whereby the travel of the piston will serve to pull the pole downward below the horizontal plane of the wire.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 is a* side elevational view, partly in section, showing the base-piece, the connecting means between the controlling valve and the trolley pole for operating the valve, and also the piston that is connected back to the trol-.

ley pole; Fig. 2 is a horizontalplan view, partly in section, on the line 2-2 of F ig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the external connections be tween the piston and the pole and also between the valve and the pole; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the valve taken on a horizontal plane, substantially through the axis of the valve; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the connections at the lower end of the pole and Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view of the interior construction of a portion. of

the turn-table showing the packing devices for making an air-tight joint between the base and the rotatable turn-table.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the base-piece which is suitably secured to the top of the car by means of the lugs 2 which are bolted to the fixed pieces The turn-table casing, as a whole, is indicated by the numeral 4 and located between the base-piece and the table are antifriction rollers 5, 6, and 7.

The pole itself is indicated at 8 and carried at the upper end thereof is a fork 9 that is connected to the pole 8 by means of the pivot pin 10. The lower end of the pole is forked so as to span the turn-table 4.

The usual trolley rope is indicated at 11. Connected to the fork 9 is a rod 12 which extends downward through the pole and terminates in the part 13 to which it is clamped by means of the bolts 14. Located between the part 13 and the shoulder 15 is a compression coil spring 16. The lower forked end of the pole and the part 13 is mounted on a transversely located pin 17 that is secured in the opposite sides of the casing 4. The lower end of the part 13 is formed with an elongated slot 19 through which the pin 17, passes. Pivotally attached to the opposite sides of the casing by means of the pin 20 are a pair of arc-shaped links 21 and traveling in the slot 22 thereof is a pin 23. Connected to the lower side of the arc-shaped links 21 is a link 24 which, in turn, is connected to a bell-crank-lever 25. This lever is connected to a shaft 26 by means of the link 27 and arm 28. Attached sageway 34. The valve 30 is formed with ports 35, 36, and 37. The turn-table is also formed with ports 38 and 39. Secured to the piston 32 is a piston rod 40 which extends rearward through the casing 41.

Located on the piston rod is a buffer spring 42 which serves as a cushion when the part 43 strikes the plate 44 through the rearward movements of the piston. Connected to the pistonaod 40 on opposite sides thereof are a pair of links 45. These links are attached at their right-hand end, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to the lower part of the trolley pole 8 at the point 46. ,Spaced from the pivotal point 46 is a hook 47 to which a spring 48,

, under tension, is connected, the other end of the spring being connected to a hook 49. This spring serves the usual purpose of retaining the trolley wheel in close contact with the overhead wire in order to take up any irregularities of the roadbed.

F or the purpose of making an all tlgllt packing between the base-piece 1 and the turn-table, the packing rings 50, 'asshown more'clearly in Fig. 6, are employed.

These rings are secured tightly in place by means of the threaded 'ring 51. Bars 52 are spaced from each other by means of the pins 53, thereby permitting air to have free passage to'the port 34.

The operation of the device maybe described as follows: When the trolley Wheel leaves the wire, the spring 16 expands to push the part 13 of the pole downward, the 3 part 9 rotating about the. pin 10 This, in turn, through the links 21, 24, 25, 27,- and 29, will rotate the valve 30 so that ports 36 and 38' will register.

'theplane of the trolley wire, thus preventing the pole from striking the cross or guy wires.

When the pole is replaced in its usual position by pulling down on the cord 11, the valve 30 is rotated toward the left by means of the before-mentioned link connections between the valve and the pole, permitting the exhaust ports 38 and 39 to be 5 connected by means of the port 37 in the valve 30. The confined compressed air in the cylinder 31 can then flow therefrom to v the atmospheref The rotatable table is closed by means of the plate 55 which is connected to the base by means of the bolt '56 which-engages a pair of lugs 57.

. What I claim is' 1. A trolley retriever, comprising a trolley pole, the combination with a base-member adapted for attachment to the roof of a trolley car, the base-member having a recessed air-receiving chamber, a turntable mounted'on said member to which thepole is attached, a valve, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, the valve being designed to control the flow of compressed air from the chamber and into and from the cylinder, links connecting the valve and trolley pole, connecting means between said pole and piston, a fork pivotally connected to the upper end of the pole in which the trolley wheel is mounted, a rod connected to the fork, a shoulder on the pole, a piece attached to the rod, a spring under compression surrounding the rod and having one end engaging the shoulder and the other end the said piece, a slotted link pivotally attached to a fixed support, a pin carried by said piece and located in the link, connecting means between the link and valve, whereby when the trolley pole leaves the overhead wire said valve will be operated to permit compressed air to flow to the interior of the cylinder for causing the pole to be rotated below the wire, as described.

In a trolley retrieving device, the combination with a hollow or recessed base piece, a turn table mounted thereon and to which the pole is connected, means for permitting the pole to rise and fall with the movements of the car over the roadbed, a trolley fork pivotally connected to the upper end of the pole for supporting the usual trolley wheel, a cylinder formed as an integral part of the turn table, the turn-table having passageways therein leading to the cylinder, a piston therein, a hollow cylindrical valve having ports at opposite points for controlling the passageways to the interior of said cylinder, connecting means between the pivotally mounted trolley fork and the valve for operating the valve when the pole leaves the wire, said means including a slottedlink and a pin therein, and means for moving the pole below the horizontal plane of the wire during the travel of said piston.

3. A trolley retrieving device, comprising in combination, a base piece, a turn-table rotatably mounted thereon, a trolley pole pivotally connected to the turn-table, a curved slotted link operated by the pole and having one end pivoted to a fixed support, a cylinder, a piston therein, a tubular valve having a recessed port in the side thereof for controlling the communication to the interior of the cylinder, connecting means between the slotted link and the valve and including a bell-crank lever, one end of which is connected to the slotted link and its other end to a crank on the tubular valve, and means connected to the piston for moving the trolley pole to a lowered position, as described.

4. Ina retrieving device, the combination, a base piece formed with an upwardly extending recess portion, a turn-table mounted 'on the base-piece, packing devices for forming an air-tight joint between the table and the base-piece, a cylinder, a piston therein,

communicating passageways between the re cessed portion and the interior of the cylinder, valve for controlling the passageways, slotted link connections between the trolley pole and the valve for permitting compressed air to How from the recessed por-- tion of the base piece to the interior of the cylinder for operating the piston, and connecting means including a slidable rod on the trolley pole, a spring under compression on said rod for operating the link between the piston and the trolley pole, whereby, when the piston is operated, the pole will be moved downward, as described.

5. The combination with a base-piece having an upwardly extending recessed portion, a turntable pivotally mounted on said portion, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a casing forming a part of the turn table, a cylindered valve in the turn table, said table having registering passageways between the recessed portion, the valve and cylinder, a trolley pole pivotally attached to the turn table, a rod slidably mounted in the pole, and to which the trolley wheel is pivotally attached, the lower end of the rod having an elongated slotted portion, a curved slotted link pivotally connected to the turn table, a pin carried by the rod and located in the curved slot, link connections between the curved link and the valve, and a link connection between the pole and the piston, whereby when the trolley wheel leaves the wire the valve will be operated to permit air under pressure to enter the cylinder for pulling the pole below the wire, as described, and means for resetting the pole in its normal position.

PETER THIBODEAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

